The genial spring sunshine and gentle breezes in Beijing and Xi’an warmly welcomed a delegation of headteachers and educators from England.
This long-awaited trip, jointly organised by the Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine (CITCM) at London South Bank University and its partner institution, Harbin Normal University, aimed to promote positive dialogues in Chinese and British primary and secondary education, and to enhance constructive Sino-British communications and mutual understanding.
During the ten-day period of their stay in China, the delegates visited a number of local primary and secondary schools in Beijing and Xi'an, where they were engrossed with such diverse classes as maths, English, science, art, and dance. They also witnessed lively activities of a variety of after-school clubs, including singing, seal cutting, roller skating, Chinese opera, hockey, and football. In their eyes, the Chinese student’s good classroom behaviour, their excellent command of English, and their solid mathematical training were highly impressive. They then further engaged themselves in lively discussions with school SLT, teachers, and students on Chinese and British education systems and their future development.
Apart from school visits, the delegates were afforded opportunities not only of experiencing Tai Chi, calligraphy, and paper cutting workshops, but also of visiting several important historical sites, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Qin Terracotta Army. They were particularly excited about the Great Wall at the Juyong pass, where, gazing at the ancient structures and touching the visible traces of time, they marvelled at the grandeur of the construction and sighed over admirable length of history it had represented.
The ten-day visit to China flew by in a flash, but the delegates emphasised that they gained much knowledge and developed many insights from the memorable experience. They became all the more convinced of the necessity of incorporating Mandarin into their schools’ curriculum, and expressed their eagerness to share what they have gained and developed with other schools in London.
After returning from China, Mrs Owen-Amadasun, the acting headteacher at Ellen Wilkinson Primary School, wrote: “The visit to China was truly amazing! The sights, colours, sounds, food, people, tradition and culture just so mind blowing. … My horizons have definitely expanded with an 11 day 'Taste of China' be it only Beijing and Xi’an. I am sure there is so much more to see, to know and to be immersed in. We however were given a fantastic opportunity to see the many wonders of China which are indeed also the wonders of the world.”